Do Results Matter? We Don’t Produce “Jack”
As you read this, for the 30th year, the Detroit Regional Chamber hosts its annual public policy conference on Mackinac Island (June 2-4). This three-day event draws up to 1,700 of Michigan’s top civic, business, labor, education, foundation and religious leaders. Most of Michigan’s “movers and shakers” and the elected leader wannabes will make an appearance.
The conference focus will be on the 2010 election, education and its importance in rebuilding the American economy and job creation.
As a takeoff on the new HBO movie about “Dr. Death, Jack Kevorkian,’ “You Don’t Know Jack,” the Detroit Chamber ought to change the name of this conference. Given the actual tangible results produced from this annual gathering, the name ought to be “We Don’t Produce Jack!”
For 30 years nearly 1,700 of our top leaders have been gathering on the island of road apples (horse poop) and fudge for conversation, dialog food and wine, but to what end? What are the tangible accomplishments?
Few CEOs would be able to keep their jobs over a 30-year period with the results derived for this annual soirée.
A Culture Of Accepting Failure
This is not a slam at the Detroit Regional Chamber. They are to be commended for creating the forum. Yet, everyone who attends needs to pull out a mirror and take a look – everyone shares the blame for getting absolutely nothing done.
If government, education and the nonprofit human services community had hosted this 30-year gathering, the business community would be quick with their ridicule and scorn for the lack of results.
Look, I understand and value networking and dialog, pulling together divergent groups as much as the next guy, but results should matter!
One Cannot Build Anew on a Foundation in the Clouds
Part of the problem in Michigan is a cultural unwillingness to say “the emperor has no clothes.” We are content to pretend. Let’s stop pretending and worrying about offending someone, crack a few eggs and produce positive results.
The failure to act is most obvious in how the governor and Legislature have “balanced” the state’s books over the last
seven years, using the pretend-and-spend modality.
The sooner we make the necessary reforms to truly balance Michigan’s books to the new economic reality, the sooner we will have a solid foundation upon which to begin building the “New Michigan,” and getting ourselves off the bottom of the pool.
Political Courage
Why haven’t we been successful in our rebuilding efforts? The answer is as simple as it remains elusive. For political reasons elected leaders on both sides of the political aisle have avoided making the tough structural changes that the state’s new economic reality dictates.
There is momentary relief that public education, community colleges, universities, revenue sharing for cities and townships will be “protected” under the governor’s proposed budget.
However, smart leaders of these institutions might well liken the governor’s budget to Christmas morning: Unlikely that they will get everything they were promised.
Further, with escalating costs, staying even is falling behind.
Any public official who doesn’t assume further reductions and restructuring is just beyond the horizon ought to be removed for malfeasance.
Eastern Michigan University President, Sue Martin and her board are to be commended for their leadership in grasping the new reality and not raising tuition on students for the coming year.
The question is not whether these changes will come, but when.
And will our lame duck elected leaders get the job done this year or, once again, kick the problem down the road for future leaders?
The sooner we make the cuts, serious and fundamental structural reforms and raise the revenue (aka taxes) to enable Michigan to truly invest in programs and services (primarily education, job training and 21st century infrastructure), the sooner we will find the solid footing necessary for competing on the world stage.
With the financial issues facing Michigan, doing business as we always have is not the sensible solution.
The status quo is quickly disappearing as a thoughtful strategy. We have arrived at a time in Michigan when the unthinkable has become inevitable.
Two Bites at the Change Apple
First, this November, Michigan voters have two bites at the change apple. We will be electing a new governor, attorney general, secretary of state and nearly two-thirds of the Michigan Legislature. Choose wisely.
Second, the voters decide if we should elect a citizen body to rewrite our Michigan Constitution. Every 16 years we get a chance to decide if our constitution needs to be revised. This is the year.
If I were a Lansing protector of the status quo, I would be afraid — very afraid.
A palpable frustration bordering on anger exists in Michigan’s electorate today. There is a rare opportunity for voters to take their frustration and future in their own hands and rewrite the document that sets the parameters under which we are governed.
See www.energizemichigan.com, <https://www.energizemichigan.com> for more information on voting yes on this proposal.
Clearly the special interests ranging from the State Chamber of Commerce to the Michigan Education Association, afraid the others sides’ “reforms” would get adopted in a constitutional rewrite, will join forces in an unholy alliance under the banner, “The devil we know is better than what we might get in opening up a constitutional rewrite can of worms!”
Change is hard and is often avoided — until it can no longer be avoided. We are reaching this point in Michigan.
Michigan is Underwater
We need only look at the city of Detroit, Detroit Public Schools GM or Toyota’s predicaments to see the results of avoidance.
It is time Michigan’s leaders learned a lesson and acted with our collective future in mind.
Yeah, I know it is more likely that the “road apples” on Mackinac will not smell this year.
It truly is sink or swim time for Michigan. We do not have to walk on water, but we clearly have to pull up anchor.
Tom Watkins is a business and education consultant in the U.S. and China. His career includes stints as state superintendent of schools, president and CEO of the Palm Beach, Florida economic council, deputy chief of staff to Gov. James Blanchard, Michigan’s mental health director and an elected member of the Wayne County Charter Commission. He can be reached at tdwatkins@aol.com.
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